Metering dispensing carton and unitary blank therefor



Feb. 15, 1966 w. KAUFMAN 3,235,142

METERING DISPENSING CARTON AND UNITARY BLANK THEREFOR Filed Oct. 26, 1961 115. fi F15. 5

IN VEN TOR. W/Lt MM KAUFMAN United States Patent 3,235,142 METERING DISPENSING CARTON AND UNITARY BLANK THEREFGR William Kaufman, 83 Morgan St., Stamford, tlonn. Filed Get. 26, 1961, Ser. No. 147,836 7 Claims. (Cl. 222-456) This invention relates generally to a dispensing carton. More particularly, it relates to a bi-cameral carton, preparable from a unitary blank which is suitable for metering predetermined amounts of comminuted or fluent materials such as soap, cereal and other particulate merchandise normally used in measured amounts. The following description of the invention will be made with reference to a measuring dispenser for soap powder, it being understood, however, that operation of the invention is entirely independent of the nature of the fluent material.

Since the popularization of automatic clothes washers for home laundering, the need has existed for an accurate, inexpensive and preferably disposable metering dispenser for soap powder. Previous dispensers for this purpose have either been too inaccurate or costly to manufacture, especially as an integral part of the conventional disposable soap box. In recognition of this problem it was the object of this invention, generally, to provide an inexpensive dispensing carton which is capable of delivering predetermined amounts of particulate soap material. It was a further object of this invention to provide a metering dispenser which can, if desired, be inexpensively prepared from unitary cardboard blanks and which by the movement of a slide, is capable of dispensing measured amounts of granular material, while requiring no special skill to use. It was an even further object to provide the unitary blanks from which the dispensers of the invention could be prepared.

Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like reference parts throughout the figures, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an inner side view of a unitary blank from which a container of this invention can be made.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the carton assembled from the blank illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the slide which may be used in a carton of this invention.

FIGURE 4 is a side view, partially in section of the slide shown in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an inner side view of another unitary blank for which another carton of the present invention can be formed.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the carton formed from the blank of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is an inner side view of still another unitary blank of this invention, and

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the carton formed by assembling the blank of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of a carton having the slide and discharge opening at the top of the container.

The foregoing objects have been accomplished in accordance with this invention by the provision of a unitary blank plus a carton preparable therefrom, having front, back, top, bottom and side panels, partitioned into two communicating compartments, one of which is the large storage compartment and the other, corner disposed, the metering or measuring compartment. The latter has five outside walls, four of which are common with the carton walls and a fifth which is parallel to, but shorter than either the fourth or top panels of the carton. The sixth side, an opening into the larger compartment, is

closable by a slide which rides in a preformed path to close the open end of the small compartment. It extends through a slot in one outside panel of the carton where- 'from it can be manipulated. The outside wall of the small compartment has a closable spout or pouring means,

FIGURE 1 shows one embodiment of a blank of this invention. This includes front panel 1 at one end connected to left side panel 2 along a vertical fold line 3. Rear panel 4 is connected to the other side of left side panel 2 along vertical score line 5 and to right side panel 6 along score line 7. Each of said panels has top closure flaps 8 and bottom closure flaps 9. Right side panel 6 is connected to vertical closure flaps 10 by vertical fold line 11. Extending from the upper left edge of front panel 1 is small panel 12 of approximately the same width as said front panel. Connected along the left edge of 12, along vertical fold line 13 is another small panel 14 and along the left vertical edge 15 of the latter is connected end small panel 16. All said panels 12, 14 and 16 are of the same length. Panels 12 and 16 are of equal width; and panel 14 is equal in width to panel 1. Front panel 1 has opening 1'7 located no further from the top of said panel than the distance equal to the length of the small panels.

Panel 1 has a horizontal slit 18 located just below the line formed by extending the bottom edges of the small panels rightward. Slit 18 may be either as, or substantially as wide as the width of panel 1. Its height is adjusted to be approximately the same as the thickness of the material from which the slide will be formed. Along the same horizontal line rightward from vertical edge 3 on panel 2 is groove 19 extending from a length the equal to about twice the width of small panel 12. The groove may be made by gouging a thickness from the panel 2, or by laying thickness of material on either side of the groove 19. A similar groove 20 is made along the aforesaid horizontal line extending leftward from vertical edge 11 on panel 6. Extending rightward from the intersection of vertical edge 11 and groove 20, is a slit 21 of the same height as slit 18.

FIGURE 2 shows the carton formed by making ninety degree folds along the score lines of the blank of FIG- URE l and then gluing the flaps as necessary. Opening 17 has ben provided with a conventional metal or plastic spout 22 and slide 23 has been inserted in slit 18.

FIGURES 3 and 4 show one modification of the slide 23 in which section A, adjacent to the handle 24 has an opening 25 and section B is solid. On the end opposite handle 24 is a latching means 25. As will be apparent the dimensions of the slide are such that it is no wider than the width of panel 1, and no longer than the width of side panel 2 The unitary blank shown in FIGURE 5 is essentially similar to that shown in FIGURE 1. In substance, the distinction between the two is that in the embodiment of FIGURE 5 small panels 12, 14 and 16 extending upwardly from the flap 8 depending upward of panel 2, instead of leftward from panel 1. Slit 18 is located in said flap 8 just past the right vertical edge of small panel 12. Groove 19 extends on panel 2 vertically downward from said slit. Slit 21 is in the flap 8 depending upward from. panel 6. It is the same distance from the vertical fold line 7 as slit 18 is from vertical fold line 5. Groove 20 extends vertically downward from 21 on panel 6.

The carton shown in FIGURE 6 is formed by folding the unitary blank of FIGURE 5. From this it will be apparent that the embodiment in FIGURE 6 is operationally the same as the embodiment of FIGURE 2. The only difference is that in the former the slide moves in a vertical direction and in the latter it moves horizontally.

The embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGURE 7 has the advantage of not requiring a special device for the formation of the slide guide. The blank itself, or at least a part of it, acts as the guide. Therein, small panels 12, 14 and 16 are extended downwardly to form guide panels 27, 28 and 239 which have vertical fold lines therebetweeh. Slit 18 is extended horizontally leftward to the end of the blank.

The carton of FIGURE 8 is formed by folding and gluing the unitary blank of FIGURE 7 and inserting the slide of FIGURE 3 into slit 18. As will be seen from the two figures the ends of folded guide panels form a rectangle having the same cross section as the small compartment formed by panels 12, 1-4- and 16. Moreover, the latter is superimposed on the former. The narrow space between the two end surfaces is on the same horizontal axis as is slit 18. It will be apparent that a slide inserted into slit 18 will be guided by the upper ends of guide panels 27, 28 and 29 and the lower ends of small panels 12, 14 and 16 to ride along the lower end of the metering compartment formed by said small panels.

The operation, that is the assembly and utilization of the carton of the present invention is extremely uncomplicated. The assembly involves, in substantially any order, the insertion of slide 23 through slit 18 folding of flaps 12, 14 and 16 inwardly toward panel 1, to form a compartment of a size predetermined by the size of the panels, and folding of the remaining flaps so as to form a carton, in the corner of which, the small compartment formed by flaps 12, 14 and 16, nests. In the case of the embodiment shown in FIGURES l and 2, the opening of the small compartment faces the bottom of the carton. In the case of the embodiment shown in FIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 8 the opening of the small compartment faces rear panel 4. Each carton may he fitted with a durable pouring spout.

The metering dispensing cartons of the invention are used as follows. Beginning with a carton completely :filled with a fluent material standing right side up, the :slide is placed in its in position, the spout is opened, and the carton is tilted thus causing the evacuation of the powder in the metering compartment. The carton and its contents may then be stored, or else used to meter another portion of powder as follows. The spout is closed, the slide is pulled to its out position thus exposing the open end of the empty metering compartment to the powder in the larger compartment. The carton is inverted, thus causing the powder to ii w through the opening in the slide into the metering compartment. While in the inverted position, the slide is pushed to its in position thus shutting the metering compartment. The carton may then be returned to its upright position. When required, a predetermined amount corresponding to the volume of the metering compartment may be dispensed by simply opening the spout and pouring the powder in a normal fashion from the carton.

The carton may be of any desired size, as may the metering compartment. The spout, which may be located in either the front, side or top wall of the metering compartment may be formed from the punched-out blank material, or it may be metal or plastic (either transparent or opaque). A transparent spout is particularly suitable since it enables the user to observe the level to which the metering compartment is filled. Such a spout may be marked oif at points corresponding to quarters or thirds of the metering compartment volumes, or in any other units as desired.

The slide may be shown in FIGURE 3 wherein its dimensions are such that the short dimension is equal to, or slightly smaller than, the width of the front and rear panels of the carton, and the long side is approximately twice the width of panel 12. The slide guide may be variously constructed to perform the required function. Since this is to form the sixth wall of the metering compartment, the location of the guide must be such as to allow the accomplishment of this purpose. Thus, if the metering compartment is open at the bottom end, the guide should be horizontally located so that the slide is positioned at that end. Likewise, the guide should be vertically positioned when the rear of the metering compartment is open. The guide may be formed by depositing two parallel lines of a plastic material on each of the left and right side panels so as to form grooves. Alternatively, the guide may be formed by gluing two parallel strips of cardboard or the like in the same positions. Another means for forming the guide is to out two parallel, properly proportioned grooves in the side walls of the carton. An even further method by which the slide guide can be formed is shown in the blank of FIGURE 7.

In the foregoing description reference was made to various specific aspects of the present invention for purpose of illustration, not limitation since many alternative ways will be obvious to one skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A container having a large compartment and a small compartment nesting in a corner thereof, the compartments having four walls in common; a discharge opening from a side of the small compartment; 21 further opening at the bottom of the small compartment allowing communication between the two compartments; a plurality of walls forming a passage of the same cross section as the small compartment and positioned in the axis of and below the small compartment, the top ends of the walls of said passage being separated from the bottom of the small compartment by a small distance; a slit in an outside wall of said container at the same level as said separation; and a slide means having an opening in one portion thereof, said slide means extending through the slit, the slide being movably mounted by means of the slit, the bottom end of the small compartment and the top ends of said passage.

2. A container having a large compartment and a small compartment nesting in a corner thereof, the compartments having four walls in common; a discharge opening from the side of the small compartment; a further opening at the side of the small compartment allowing communication between the two compartments; a passage of the same cross section as the small compartment and positioned in the axis and to the side of the small compartment, the side ends of the walls of said passage being separated from the side ends of the walls of the small compartment by a small distance; a slit in an outside wall of said container on the same vertical line as said seperation; and a slide means having an opening in one portion thereof, said slide means extending through the slit, the slide being movably mounted by means of the slit, the side end of the small compartment and the side end of said passage.

3. A unitary blank comprising front, rear, left and right panels separated by vertical fold lines, each of said panels having top and bottom flaps separated therefrom by horizontal fold lines, an opening in said front panel, a horizontal slit below said opening, a horizontal groove in said left and right panels below the level of said opening, small panels depending consecutively outward from said front panel at a level such that the top thereof is at the same level as the horizontal fold line separating the front panel from its top flap, and the bottom is above the level of said slit.

4. A unitary blank comprising front, rear, left and right panels separated by vertical fold lines, each of said panels having top and bottom flaps separated therefrom by horizontal fold lines, an opening in said front panel, three small panels depending consecutively upward from the top flap of said left panel, said top flap of the left panel having a vertical slit in the line formed by extending the right edge of said small panels downward; a groove in said left panel along said latter vertical line; a vertical slit in the top flap of said right panel located symmetrically to the rear panel with respect to said first vertical slit; and a vertical groove in said right panel in the same vertical line as the second vertical slit.

5. A unitary blank comprising front, rear, left and right panels separated by vertical fold lines, each of said panels having top and bottom flaps separated therefrom by horizontal fold lines, an opening in the upper portion of the front panel, three consecutive small panels depending outward from said front panel separated by vertical fold lines which define the edges of said panels, a horizontal slit just below said opening extending across said front panel to at least the outer edge of the second of said depending small panels.

6. A unitary blank comprising front, rear, left and right panels separated by vertical fold lines, each of said panels having top and bottom flaps separated therefrom by horizontal fold lines, an opening in the upper portion of said front panel, three consecutive small panels depending upward from the upper flap of said left panel, a vertical slit extending upward from the bottom of the upper flap of the left panel to at least the end of the second depending panel, a vertical slit in the upper flap of the right panel extending the height of said upper flap and located symmetrically to the rear panel with respect to said first vertical slit.

7. A dispenser comprising a container having a large compartment and a small rectangular compartment resting in a corner thereof, said container and compartment being formed from a unitary blank; the compartments having four walls in common, a discharge opening from the small compartment, a further opening between the two compartments allowing communication therebetween and a slide means having an opening in one portion thereof, said slide means extending through a third opening in an outside wall of said container, and means for movably mounting said slide so as to keep it in contact with the open end of the small compartment to enable the slide to alternatively close and open said opening between nhe two compartments.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,372,278 3/1945 Jess 222-450 X 2,880,915 4/1959 Kantor 222--456 2,925,943 2/1960 Silver 222-456 X 3,057,524 10/1962 Shanks 222-454 X M. HENSON WOOD, 111., Primary Examiner.

LOUIS I. DEMBO, Examiner.

A. N. KNOWLES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER HAVING A LARGE COMPARTMENT AND A SMALL COMPARTMENT NESTING IN A CORNER THEREOF, THE COMPARTMENTS HAVING FOUR WALLS IN COMMON; A DISCHARGE OPENING FROM A SIDE OF THE SMALL COMPARTMENT; A FURTHER OPENING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SMALL COMPARTMENT ALLOWING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE TWO COMPARTMENTS; A PLURALITY OF WALLS FORMING A PASSAGE OF THE SAME CROSS SECTION AS THE SMALL COMPARTMENT AND POSITIONED IN THE AXIS OF AND BELOW THE SMALL COMPARTMENT, THE TOP ENDS OF THE WALLS OF SAID PASSAGE BEING SEPARATED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SMALL COMPARTMENT BY A SMALL DISTANCE; A SLIT IN AN OUTSIDE WALL OF SAID CONTAINER AT THE SAME LEVEL AS SAID SEPARATION; AND A SLIDE MEANS HAVING AN OPENING IN ONE PORTION THEREOF, SAID SLIDE MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH THE SLIT, THE SLIDE BEING MOVABLY MOUNTED BY MEANS OF THE SLIT, THE BOTTOM END OF THE SMALL COMPARTMENT AND THE TOP ENDS OF SAID PASSAGE. 